A mixed day today. Laughter and Tears.

Let’s shed the tears first.

Karen got very upset today. She said she had been crying a lot of the night as well. I think she is realising the extent of her predicament.

Every day I read out the comments people have put on this website and as I read last night’s comment, Karen started crying. She is so touched by people’s concern and the overwhelming response she has had both in the form of text messages and blog comments. I don’t think she understands how well thought of she is. And the comments last night (which were all wonderfully encouraging) touched her.

It’s funny, in hindsight, I should have seen the signs. When I offer to read out the texts I have had (over 150), she can only take a few being read out. When I read out the cards from her colleagues at the blood service, I do a few and she says “enough”. She also received a single (large) card from Blood Service colleagues which must have about 30-40 good will messages (20 either page). I could only read the left hand page out before she said “enough”. So, apologies to the colleagues who signed the right hand page – as far as Karen is concerned, you don’t care about her !! That is a joke btw !!!! Karen is only too well aware of how much everyone is rooting for her !!

For the first time today, I read out the previous day’s blog entry that I had written and this upset her also. I won’t be doing that again. Karen, one day, will appreciate the blog, but its too early for her to hear her predicament (even though yesterday’s entry was all positive).

The reading out of the blog prompted the following conversation :-

kp (upset) :- I am 40 and I have had a stroke. That isn’t good is it.
dp :- Actually you’re 42, but I like the way you knocked a couple of years off. Very slick !

So, let’s end the tears. Karen is realising that she is not a well woman, but we tried to reassure how far she has come, and that she is doing remarkably well and everyone is SOOOO proud of her.

On the laughter front. Karen had some GREAT moments today.

One of the auxiliary nurses was reading out the menu for lunch.

Alan (aux.nurse) :- “Would you like Soup or Orange Juice………….Cottage Pie or Vol au Vents”
Now Alan pronounced Vol Au Vents in true english fashion. He pronounced Vents as “he vents his anger”

Karen spotted this straight away and the biggest smirk appeared on her face as Alan carried on reading the desserts out. I was nudging her arm when she smirked confirming the mispronunciation.

kp:- I don’t want the “vol au vents” (copying Alan’s mispronunciation) and I don’t want “Vol au vents” either (kp pronouncing it correctly).

Alan was laughing. kp was laughing holding her belly because she was so amused.

Poor Alan copped it for the rest of the day and kp kept calling him Mr “Vol au Vents”. Alan is the same chap (mentioned in an earlier blog) who was involved in the “getting her leg over” incident.

Karen had a good feed today. They have stopped feeding her intravenously and through her nose so from today, she has to eat real food. She ate a 1/4 of a plate of cottage pie and a couple of tubs of ice cream !!

Another incident that provoked a painful kp belly laugh was when I was describing to Karen how at the other hospital I had seen a 14 year old girl in the waiting room who had jeans that just about covered the hip and her knickers were showing well above the jeans. (Very fashionable apparently). So I showed Karen with my “knickers” what she looked like but pulling my sexy Y-fronts up above my jeans. The Queen was amused !

Another time Karen had us in stitches is when she did an impression of one of the Asian Doctors (Dr Krishna). Apparently he had come over to her bed and said “How are you Karen ?” but with a very asian accent. He pronounced Karen as “Kaaaaaarennnn” ? So Dr Krishna was around her bed with a couple of nurses hovering as well, and she did an impression of how Dr Krishna had woken her up with his “How are you Kaaaaaaarennnnnn ?”

Dr Krishna, the nurses, Karen and family were laughing.

So, in summary, Karen had her down moments today and her up moments. It was quite an exhausting day for karen today and the upset took it out of her. We left her with one of the nose oxygen masks (that you see on Casualty) to keep her oxygen levels up (because they were a little on the low side) (nothing to worry about !).

When I went to leave at 8pm, she was fast asleep. Of course, I had to kiss her good night and she woke up. But only a sleepy awakeness. I said “Good Night, go back to sleep” and her eyelids went heavy again.

Good Night kp

In the next edition of Karen’s blog we should have some interesting reading !!!!

The nurses have suggested I bring in our 3 German Shepherds to see Karen tomorrow. (The meeting with the dogs will take place outside. kp will be wheeled out on her bed). I am sh+tting myself because they will be so excited to see her, they will jump on her bed and open up all her wounds !!!! I will bring them to see her one by one, but still it will be an interesting day tomorrow. Expect there to be some part-eaten nurses and a kp that has more wounds than today.